President Lee Chairs Video Conference During Brazil Visit President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to Brazil, held a video conference with senior aides on the night of his arrival to assess domestic measures in response to rising international oil prices.During the meeting, which took place at 9 p.m. local time in Brasília, President Lee stated, "The situation in the Middle East has become unstable again, causing fluctuations in international oil prices. Given the likelihood of continued volatility, we must take proactive measures to minimize its impa July 28, 2026

Shin Ji-eun Wins LPGA Title After 10-Year Hiatus “When times are tough, I want to tell everyone to keep pushing forward. The world isn’t over yet.”Shin Ji-eun made this statement during a press conference on July 27 after winning the ISPS Handa Scottish Open at Dundonald Links in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The tournament featured a total prize pool of $2 million.Shin finished the final round with a total score of 9-under-par 279, securing a two-stroke victory over Kim A-rim, who finished at 7-under-par 281. This win marked a wire-to-wire victor July 28, 2026

South Korea and Brazil Declare 'Year of Strategic Partnership' with Expanded Cooperation South Korea and Brazil have declared this year as the 'Year of Strategic Partnership' and agreed to significantly expand cooperation in defense, aerospace, critical minerals, and semiconductor industries.During a state visit to Brazil, President Lee Jae-myung announced this agreement following a summit with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Palácio da Alvorada in Brasília on July 27.President Lee stated, "Following President Lula's historic state visit to South Korea in February, I am m July 28, 2026

Blue House Denies Reports of Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho's Resignation The Blue House has denied reports that Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho recently expressed his intention to resign in opposition to the abolition of supplementary investigative powers.A key official from the Blue House stated on July 26, during a press briefing in Brasilia, Brazil, that "there has been no official confirmation of the minister's resignation."When asked if there were indications of Jeong's resignation, the official reiterated, "There has been no official confirmation of a resignati July 28, 2026

Ruling Party Moves to Amend Fast-Track Legislation and Strengthen Filibuster Requirements The Democratic Party has announced plans to amend fast-track legislation and strengthen requirements for filibusters to accelerate the pace of livelihood-related legislation. Additionally, a bill to replace inactive standing committee chairs is nearing passage.Han Byeong-do, the party's acting leader and floor leader, stated during a Supreme Council meeting on July 27, "Like the government, the National Assembly must activate all standing committees to expedite livelihood legislation. This is a July 27, 2026

Yoon Suk Yeol Appeals Suspended Sentence for False Information Charges Yoon Suk Yeol appeals suspended sentence for false information charges Yoon Suk Yeol has filed an appeal against a suspended prison sentence for charges of disseminating false information. On July 27, Yoon's legal team submitted the appeal to the Seoul Central District Court, which had issued the initial ruling. In a statement, the defense team expressed regret over the ruling, stating, "We believe there were significant errors in the recognition of facts and application of law," and cited m July 27, 2026

All 57 Candidates to Retake General Mechanical Engineer Practical Exam Due to Question Leak The Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation announced that all candidates will retake the General Mechanical Engineer practical exam to prevent any compromise of fairness following a question leak.According to the corporation, it was confirmed that the questions for the '2026 Second General Mechanical Engineer Practical Exam' were disclosed a day prior, on July 25, at the exam venue.The corporation identified that due to negligence by staff and examiners at one testing site, the exam papers July 27, 2026

Prosecutors Seek 7-Year Sentence for Jo Tae-yong in Appeal Over Emergency Martial Law Perjury Special prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence for Jo Tae-yong, the former head of the National Intelligence Service, in his appeal trial related to perjury during the emergency martial law situation on December 3. During the appeal hearing held on July 27 at the Seoul High Court, presided over by Judge Yoon Seong-sik, the prosecution reiterated its request for a seven-year sentence for Jo, who faces charges of dereliction of duty, violations of the National Intelligence Servic July 27, 2026

China Strongly Opposes U.S. Forced Labor Tariffs, Calls It Typical Protectionism The Chinese government has strongly opposed the U.S. administration's decision to impose additional tariffs on 60 countries, including South Korea and China, under the pretext of 'forced labor.'According to Yonhap News Agency, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued a statement on July 27 expressing strong regret over the U.S. tariff imposition.On July 23, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced final measures to impose so-called 'forced labor tariffs' ranging from 10% to 12.5% on economi July 27, 2026

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Emphasizes Importance of Communication with China Ahead of APEC Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining dialogue with China, which is currently facing a stalemate in relations.According to Yonhap News, during a press conference held on July 27 at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, Takaichi stated, "China is an important neighboring country," and emphasized that her administration's policy of promoting a comprehensive strategic reciprocal relationship has remained consistent since she took office.Takaichi particularl July 27, 2026